National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

journey. At the beginning, however, it allowed us to move in two parties and thus to increase
the extent of the area mapped. ⁵⁰ The same advantage was taken after reaching Ming-
shui, ⁵¹ whence the guidance afforded by a fairly clear caravan track permitted Muhammad
Yakûb to be detached towards Tâsh-bulak and Hâmi. ⁵²

Our main party now moved north-westwards, the great snowy mass of the Karlik-
Passage of eastern- tâgh coming into view far away and serving to direct us when in
most Karlik-tâgh. doubt. Serious trouble was, however, still encountered, when making
our way through the last barren range, an easternmost extension of the
T'ien-shan, owing to want of water and the confusing configuration of its rugged valleys.
It was with relief that we descended to the little village of Bai, situated on a wide gravel
plateau which receives some subsoil water from the easternmost snows of the Karlik-tâgh
and slopes down to the plains of Dzungaria. ⁵³ Careful height observations with mercurial
barometer and clinometer taken along the whole of our routes will help to throw fresh light
on the morphology of the Pei-shan.

A rapid journey then carried us during the first half of October from Bai westwards
Journey along N. foot to Barkul and Guchen (Ku-ch'êng-tzu) along the northern foot of the
of T'ien-shan. eastern T'ien-shan. The route followed permitted a closer survey
being made of this portion of the great range than had been possible
in 1907 from the south. ⁵⁴ I also became acquainted with the physical conditions of a region
which possesses distinct historical interest and in geographical character differs greatly from
the Târim basin and the smaller but equally arid basins eastwards; for these valleys and
plateaus of Dzungaria, favoured by a somewhat moister climate and offering abundant grazing
grounds, have played an important part in the great nomadic migrations affecting the history
of Asia, since the times of the Indo-Scythians and Huns.

After leaving Guchen I surveyed, near Jimasa westwards, the site of the ancient
Passage of Bogdo-ula capital of this region, the Chin-man or Pei-ting of the Chinese Annals,
range. and then proceeded south to the Turfân depression by the most direct
route, difficult in places and hitherto unsurveyed. It led across the
Bogdo-ula range, a rugged portion of the T'ien-shan rising to numerous snowy peaks, by a
pass of over 12,000 feet and bearing perpetual snow-beds. ⁵⁵ Lâl Singh, by following with
the camels the usual caravan route and crossing further east by the easy Ku-ch'üan pass
above Jam-bulak, was able to survey a portion of the range which unfavourable weather
conditions had previously hidden from view. ⁵⁶

The first days of November saw all our parties safely reunited at Kara-khôja, an
Desert route from Hâmi important ancient oasis in the centre of the Turfân depression, the
terminal basin. heavy baggage having safely arrived from Su-chou and An-hsi in
charge of Naik (now Jamadâr) Shams Din. Surveyor Muhammad
Yakûb had also rejoined me. From Hâmi he had in accordance with my instructions first
revisited the oasis of Lapchuk and thence descended to the deep basin south-westwards where
the waters of Hâmi terminate in the marshes of Shona-nôr, then completely dry. ⁵⁷ His
surveys there and in adjoining depressions were of interest as revealing mazes of wind-eroded
Mesas and other surface features characteristic of all terminal basins, from the Lop desert to the
Su-lo-ho drainage area. From here he made his way by a difficult desert route, waterless for
some eight marches, to Pichan, the easternmost of the larger Turfân oases. ⁵⁸

A combination of geographical and archæological tasks made the Turfân district
Excavations and sur- our base during the autumn and winter of 1914-15. I myself with my
veys in Turfân district. devoted Indian helpers, Afrâz-gul and Shams Din, was hard at work
from November till the first half of February on excavations and sur-
veys at the numerous ruined sites in the central part of the depression. ⁵⁹ I also organized a